Motor-vehicle.



B. E. BYRD.

I MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED 001.15, 1909. RENEWED Nov. 25, 1911.

1 )14 ,8O8 Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED 001.15, 1909. RENEWED NOV. 26, 1911.

1,014,808, Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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BRITTON E. BYIRD, 0F DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

Application filed October 15, 1909, Serial N 0. 522,809. Renewed November 25, 1911. Serial No. 662,468.

is to provide simple means wherebythe disks can be shifted to vary the speed and to change the direction of rotation of the drive wheels. I

Another object is to provide separate driving mechanism for each of the rear wheels of the vehicle, means being provided for varying the speed of the said wheels, this means being under the control of the steering mast.

One of the objects of the present'invention is to provide means whereby the separate driving mechanisms will be automatically shifted while the machine is traveling on a curve so as to increase the speed of the outer drive wheel of the vehicle, at the same time reduce the speed of the inner drive wheel, thus equalizing the power upon the two wheels and maintaining it constant under all conditions, 1

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in certain novel. details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the running gear of an automobile having the present improvements applied thereto,

certain of the housings of the mechanism being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism and the steering gear, the chassis being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line AB Fig. 1, one of the cylinders of the engine being indicated by dotted lines.

axle and showing the mechanism employed for transmitting motion thereto from the main power transmitting shaft.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the main frame or chassis of the automobile, the frame being secured to a revoluble axle section 7.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged hori zontal section through a portion ofthe rear provided at its rear end with a stationary axle 2 supported at its ends by housings 3 connected to the frame. The said housings constitute bearings for shafts 4, each of which has a bevel gear 5 upon one end thereof, and located within the housing, said gear meshing with a larger gear 6 which is also located in the housing and is This axle section is journaled within the housing and projects beyond the frame or chassis there being an ordinary wheel 8 secured to the axle section at its outer end while the inner end of said section projects into the fixed axle 2. Ball bearings 9 are interposed between the gears 6 and the adjoining faces of the housings 3 and additional anti-friction bearings 10 are interposed between the gears 5 and the adjoining faces of the housings.

Each shaft 4 is connected by means of a universal joint 11, with a sleeve 12 which is angular in cross section, this sleeve being slidably mounted upon the angular end portion of an intermediate drive shaft 13. Said drive shaft extends parallel with one side of the frame 1 and is connected by means of a universal joint- 14 with a shaft section 15. I

This shaft section is journaled adjacent one end in a cross bar 16 and is adapted to swing laterally in said bar whileits other end is similarly mounted within a slide 17 mounted to move transversely of the frame and upon a guide bar 18 carriedby said frame. It is of course to be understood that one of these shafts 15 and the parts connected thereto is located adjacent each side of the frame and the'two slides 17 are connected, preferably by means of :links 19, with a slide 20. A lever 21 is'connected at its lower end to the slide, this lever being located adjacent the drivers seat so that it can be readily manipulated for the purpose of forcing the slide 20 either forward or backward. Obviously when the slide is shifted forwardly, the slides 17 will be drawn toward each other along the bar 18 and when the movement of the lever 21 is reversed, said slides 17 will be shifted away from ,each other along said bar 18.

The motor 22 is located between the shafts l5 and the drive shaft 23 of the motor is provided, at each end, with a fly wheel 24 in the form of a friction disk. These disks 24 are. designed to be-frictionally engaged by driven friction disks 25 feathered onthe shafts 15. Friction strips 26 of any suitable material are secured uponthe inner faces ofthe sides of frame 1 and in the paths of 'the disks 25, these strips constituting the brake element as will be hereinafter set forth.

.An elongated slide '27 is movable longitudinally upon. the front portion of the chassis nularly grooved portion32 of a sleeve 33 extending from one of the disks 25. It will be apparent therefore that when'the slide27 is' shiftedlongitudinally in either direction, by

meansof the 'foot'lever 28, the rods 29 will produce'a corresponding movement of the friction disks .25upon the shaft 15.

Slide 27 extends through aslot 84'forme'd within a transversely extending slide'35,'the' last mentioned slide being supported by guide pins 36 extending through elongated slots 37 therein. The said slide has arack 38' thereon, this rack being engaged by a gear 39 which is m'ounted on and rotates with the steering mast 40'. The-said mast is.

, designedxtoactuate 'thesteering' gear 41 of theusual or any preferredconstruction and it willfbe-apparent that when the'-mast'is turnedfor the purpose -of shifting the steering gear, thegear 39will. produce a'longitudinal movement of the rack 38 i and slide 35,"thus causingitheslide27 to swingabout the pivot connectingiit With'the foot lever 28. This swinging movement of slide '27 will causeoneof the rods 29 to push against the disk 25 to which it is connected'while the other rod 29;wi-'ll pull uponthe other disk 25.

The "two disks 'will thus'be simultaneously shifted in opposite directions.

disks'25' are first shifted against the centers of "the disks 24. by'means of the hand lever,

During theoperation of'the motor 22 the shaft '28 and the main driving disks -24"will of course be rotatedandthevehicle will remain at a standstill provided'the disks 25' bear against the 'centers'of the disks 24 or are-entirely outer contact with said disks or are in contactwith thebrake strips 26.

When it is'desired to start the vehiclethe 21 which operates to pull upon the "links 19 and" thus shift the slides 17 toward 'each' other. The foot, lever 28 is then actuated so 'as to' shift slide 27 longitudinally and disks 25 will therefore be drawn away from the centers of-the disks 24' and willbe-ro tated th'ereby', the" speed of the rotation increaslng in proportion to the distance of the disks 25 from the centers of the disks 24-.- Shafts 15 will therefore be rotated and motion transmitted-therefrom through the shafts 13 and sleeves 12 to the short shafts 4 and the gears carried thereby. Gears 5 will drive the gears 6 and the rear wheels of the vehicle will therefore berotated.-

Should it be desired, at anytime, to bring the machine to a sudden stop, it becomes merely necessary to reverse the movement of the lever 21 so as to move'the slides 17 away from each other and thus shift the disks 25 out of contact with the-disks 24 and against the brake strips 26. The frictional engagement of the rotatingdisks 25 with the stationary strips 26 will, obviously, bring.

the machine to aquick stop. The sudden stopping of the vehicle can also be'eifected by quickly shifting the disks 25 across the centers of the di'sks24 by'means of the foot lever 28, the said disks 24 and 25 remainingmoved toward the periphery ofthe disk 24."

It will thus beseenthat the power transmitted-to the inner wheel is increased in proportion to the decrease of power-transmitted to the-outer wheel 8 and obviously the powerds thus'eq-ualized under all conditions and-it does not become unevenly distributed as wherethe ordinarytype of diflerential gears are utilized.

It will rbe seen-that the 'mechanism'herein described is simple in construction, and will not readily get out of order because the number of working parts is reduced to the minimum. 7

Importance is attached to the simple means for stopping the vehicle, this being practically instantaneous with the disconnection of the'drive axle from the drive disks 24. I

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle including separately revoluble drive wheels, a motor, drive disks actuated by said motor, friction: gears driven by; the disks, separate means for transmitting'motionfrom said gears to the respective' wheels, a longitudinally movablepivoted slide, connections between said slideand the gears for simultaneously shifting the gears in 'OIIGCll-I'GCUOII, means for actuat ingthe Slide, as ga an actuated by said mast for shifting the slide about its pivot to move the gears simultaneously in opposite directions.

2. Ina motor vehicle the combination with drive friction disks, of friction gears actuated thereby, a pivotally supported slide, means actuating-the same, connections between the slide and gears for simultaneously shifting the gears in the same direction upon the Working faces of the disks, a revoluble steering mast, a gear thereon, a rack meshing With the gear, a slide movable With the rack, the first mentioned pivoted slide projecting through and being actuated by the slide of the rack to simultaneously shift the gears in opposite directions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

. BRITTON E. BYRD. Witnesses:

WILL MARKHAM, M. G. MARKHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

